September Uganda Prayer
Dear Friends,
Good morning! I hope you will take time to come to join us to connect with Pastor Osborn while he is here in Oregon next month. He will be available to speak with us on Monday, October 12th from 2pm - 4pm at the GSM offices, 7929 SW Cirrus Drive, Beaverton. All are welcome to join.
We have had some exciting new donations towards college education. The timing was perfect, as we were able to help 5 students into university AND 12 of our team to school to get their Theology degree. As the government has determined that no pastor is allowed to preach without a theology degree, this donation was a true gift! The government has slowed down in its enforcement of this new rule, but we have no idea how long that will last, so we are grateful to be able to use this time of moratorium to good use. The government is also talking about the possibility of taking religious studies out of the schools altogether. Osborn has determined to get ahead of that decision, and to send our religious studies teacher for his theology degree as well. This way he will be able to continue to teach as a pastor if they decide to ban teachers with no theology degrees. They have joined a 2 year program that can be done on-line, so these pastors and teachers can still do their jobs as they go to school. We are praising the Lord for this provision!
The Vocational Sewing Program has begun, and it is exciting! We had formerly had one teacher with one sewing machine teaching a class of 60 students! We now have a classroom of sewing machines, including heavy duty machines, as they are learning to sew. The teacher will start making school uniforms and will work with some of the students to help. We are excited for this opportunity and for the cost savings this could bring when they no longer have to buy uniforms. Our next item we are praying for is an embroidery machine that can make the emblems for the uniforms.
The weather has been so very dry, and the price of food has doubled since June! 1 kg. of beans was 3500 schillings in June and is now 7500 schillings. Often when food prices are high, there will be trucks from other countries that come in trying to buy food. This year, it is the U.N. who has trucks in the area to buy food and take it up north to the Congo border to feed the refugees from the unrest in Congo, and from the Ebola outbreak earlier this year. Prayer for rain and the crops to be plentiful and for the food supply to be multiplied.
We are grateful for your prayers and your support by caring and offering a better future for the children in Uganda. October starts exams for Primary 7, Senior 4 and Senior 6. Please pray for our students as they prepare for these weeks of exams.
God bless you as you go,
Patty
